VMware reverses decision on ThinApp licensing, readies new version

ThinApp users have scored a victory as VMware has decided to keep offering it as a separate product and said a new version will arrive soon.

ThinApp uses virtualization to encapsulate applications and isolate them from the underlying operating system. Doing that helps eliminate version conflicts and simplify application delivery and management, according to VMware.

The company said in March that it planned to consolidate ThinApp licensing into the Horizon Suite. That news didn't sit well with customers, whose complaints led VMware to change its mind. A stand-alone ThinApp will continue to be available until further notice and also be part of the Horizon Suite, the company said in a blog post on Wednesday.

The company is also putting the finishing touches on ThinApp version 5.0. The update "is coming very, very soon," VMware said.

For version 5.0, VMware has redone the platform's underlying architecture, so that, for example, it will allow ThinApp to handle 64-bit applications. Other improvements include the ability to encapsulate Office 2013 and Internet Explorer 10, and add more personalization using AppSense Environment Manager.

Environment Manager virtualizes personalized settings from ThinApp applications and enables them to be shared seamlessly between physically installed native applications and applications delivered virtually, according to AppSense.

While AppSense already had support for managing the personalization of ThinApp delivered applications, it didn't have "full out-of-the-box support to share settings made within a ThinApp application with other application delivery technologies or vice versa," the company said.

VMware is this week hosting VMworld Europe in Barcelona, and desktop virtualization is one of the big themes. In addition to introducing the new version of ThinApp, VMware also announced the acquisition of desktop-as-a service company Desktone at the event.

The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.

My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.

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